President Lyndon B. Johnson's

Address to the Nation Upon Announcing His Decision
To Halt the Bombing of North Vietnam

October 31, 1968

Good evening, my fellow Americans:

I speak to you this evening about very important developments in our search
for peace in Vietnam.

We have been engaged in discussions with the North Vietnamese in Paris
since last May. The discussions began after I announced on the evening of March
31st in a television speech to the Nation that the United States--in an effort
to get talks started on a settlement of the Vietnam war--had stopped the bombing
of North Vietnam in the area where 90 percent of the people live.

When our representatives--Ambassador Harriman and Ambassador Vance--were
sent to Paris, they were instructed to insist throughout the discussions that
the legitimate elected Government of South Vietnam must take its place in any
serious negotiations affecting the future of South Vietnam.

Therefore, our Ambassadors Harriman and Vance made it abundantly clear
to the representatives of North Vietnam in the beginning that--as I had indicated
on the evening of March 31st--we would stop the bombing of North Vietnamese
territory entirely when that would lead to prompt and productive talks, meaning
by that talks in which the Government of Vietnam was free to participate.

Our ambassadors also stressed that we could not stop the bombing so long
as by doing so we would endanger the lives and the safety of our troops.

For a good many weeks, there was no movement in the talks at all. The talks
appeared to really be deadlocked.

Then a few weeks ago, they entered a new and a very much more hopeful phase.

As we moved ahead, I conducted a series of very intensive discussions with
our allies, and with the senior military and diplomatic officers of the United
States Government, on the prospects for peace. The President also briefed our
congressional leaders and all of the presidential candidates.

Last Sunday evening, and throughout Monday, we began to get confirmation
of the essential understanding that we had been seeking with the North Vietnamese
on the critical issues between us for some time. I spent most of all day Tuesday
reviewing every single detail of this matter with our field commander, General
Abrams, whom I had ordered home, and who arrived here at the White House at
2:30 in the morning and went into immediate conference with the President and
the appropriate members of his Cabinet. We received General Abrams' judgment
and we heard his recommendations at some length.

Now, as a result of all of these developments, I have now ordered that
all air, naval, and artillery bombardment of North Vietnam cease as of 8 a.m.,
Washington time, Friday morning.

I have reached this decision on the basis of the developments in the Paris
talks.

And I have reached it in the belief that this action can lead to progress
toward a peaceful settlement of the Vietnamese war.

I have already informed the three presidential candidates, as well as the
congressional leaders of both the Republican and the Democratic Parties of the
reasons that the Government has made this decision.

This decision very closely conforms to the statements that I have made
in the past concerning a bombing cessation.

It was on August 19th that the President said: "This administration does
not intend to move further until it has good reason to believe that the other
side intends seriously"--seriously--"to join us in deescalating the war and
moving seriously toward peace."

And then again on September 10th, I said: "The bombing will not stop until
we are confident that it will not lead to an increase in American casualties."

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, all military men, have assured me--and General
Abrams very firmly asserted to me on Tuesday in that early, 2:30 a.m. meeting--that
in their military judgment this action should be taken now, and this action
would not result in any increase in American casualties.

A regular session of the Paris talks is going to take place next Wednesday,
November 6th, at which the representatives of the Government of South Vietnam
are free to participate. We are informed by the representatives of the Hanoi
Government that the representatives of the National Liberation Front will also
be present. I emphasize that their attendance in no way involves recognition
of the National Liberation Front in any form. Yet, it conforms to the statements
that we have made many times over the years that the NLF would have no difficulty
making its views known.

But what we now expect--what we have a right to expect--are prompt, productive,
serious, and intensive negotiations in an atmosphere that is conducive to progress.

We have reached the stage where productive talks can begin. We have made
clear to the other side that such talks cannot continue if they take military
advantage of them. We cannot have productive talks in an atmosphere where the
cities are being shelled and where the demilitarized zone is being abused.

I think I should caution you, my fellow Americans, that arrangements of
this kind are never foolproof. For that matter, even formal treaties are never
foolproof, as we have learned from our experience.

But in the light of the progress that has been made in recent weeks, and
after carefully considering and weighing the unanimous military and diplomatic
advice and judgment rendered to the Commander in Chief, I have finally decided
to take this step now and to really determine the good faith of those who have
assured us that progress will result when bombing ceases and to try to ascertain
if an early peace is possible. The overriding consideration that governs us
at this hour is the chance and the opportunity that we might have to save human
lives, save human lives on both sides of the conflict. Therefore, I have concluded
that we should see if they are acting in good faith.

We could be misled--and we are prepared for such a contingency. We pray
God it does not occur.

But it should be clear to all of us that the new phase of negotiations
which opens on November 6th does not--repeat, does not--mean that a stable peace
has yet come to Southeast Asia. There may well be very hard fighting ahead.
Certainly, there is going to be some very hard negotiating, because many difficult
and critically important issues are still facing these negotiators. But I hope
and I believe that with good will we can solve them. We know that negotiations
can move swiftly if the common intent of the negotiators is peace in the world.

The world should know that the American people bitterly remember the long,
agonizing Korean negotiations of 1951 through 1953--and that our people will
just not accept deliberate delay and prolonged procrastination again.

Well then, how has it come about that now, on November 1st, we have agreed
to stop the bombardment of North Vietnam?

I would have given all I possess if the conditions had permitted me to
stop it months ago; if there had just been any movement in the Paris talks that
would have justified me in saying to you, "Now it can be safely stopped."

But I, the President of the United States, do not control the timing of
the events in Hanoi. The decisions in Hanoi really determine when and whether
it would be possible for us to stop the bombing.

We could not retract our insistence on the participation of the Government
of South Vietnam in serious talks affecting the future of their people--the
people of South Vietnam. For though we have allied with South Vietnam for many
years in this struggle, we have never assumed and we shall never demand the
role of dictating the future of the people of South Vietnam. The very principle
for which we are engaged in South Vietnam--the principle of self-determination--requires
that the South Vietnamese people themselves be permitted to freely speak for
themselves at the Paris talks and that the South Vietnamese delegation play
a leading role in accordance with our agreement with President Thieu at Honolulu.

It was made just as clear to North Vietnam that a total bombing halt must
not risk the lives of our men.

When I spoke last March 31st, I said that evening: "Whether a complete
bombing halt becomes possible in the future will be determined by events."

Well, I cannot tell you tonight specifically in all detail why there has
been progress in Paris. But I can tell you that a series of hopeful events has
occurred in South Vietnam:
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp--The Government of South Vietnam has grown steadily stronger.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp--South Vietnam's Armed Forces have been substantially increased to the
point where a million men are tonight under arms, and the effectiveness of these
men has steadily improved.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp--The superb performance of our own men, under the brilliant leadership
of General Westmoreland and General Abrams, has produced truly remarkable results.

Now, perhaps some or all of these factors played a part in bringing about
progress in the talks. And when at last progress did come, I believe that my
responsibilities to the brave men--our men--who bear the burden of battle in
South Vietnam tonight, and my duty to seek an honorable settlement of the war,
required me to recognize and required me to act without delay.

I have acted tonight.

There have been many long days of waiting for new steps toward peace--days
that began in hope, only to end at night in disappointment. Constancy to our
national purpose--which is to seek the basis for a durable peace in Southeast
Asia--has sustained me in all of these hours when there seemed to be no progress
whatever in these talks.

But now that progress has come, I know that your prayers are joined with
mine and with those of all humanity, that the action I announce tonight will
be a major step toward a firm and an honorable peace in Southeast Asia. It can
be.

So, what is required of us in these new circumstances is exactly that steady
determination and patience which has brought us to this more hopeful prospect.

What is required of us is a courage and a steadfastness, and a perseverance
here at home, that will match that of our men who fight for us tonight in Vietnam.

So, I ask you not only for your prayers but for the courageous and understanding
support that Americans always give their President and their leader in an hour
of trial. With that understanding, and with that support, we shall not fail.

Seven months ago I said that I would not permit the Presidency to become
involved in the partisan divisions that were then developing in this political
year. Accordingly, on the night of March 31st, I announced that I would not
seek nor accept the nomination of my party for another term as President.

I have devoted every resource of the Presidency to the search for peace
in Southeast Asia. Throughout the entire summer and fall I have kept all of
the presidential candidates fully briefed on developments in Paris as well as
in Vietnam. I have made it abundantly clear that no one candidate would have
the advantage over others--either in information about those developments, or
in advance notice of the policy the Government intended to follow. The chief
diplomatic and military officers of this Government all were instructed to follow
the same course.

Since that night on March 31st, each of the candidates has had differing
ideas about the Government's policy. But generally speaking, however, throughout
the campaign we have been able to present a united voice supporting our Government
and supporting our men in Vietnam. I hope, and I believe, that this can continue
until January 20th of next year when a new President takes office. Because in
this critical hour, we just simply cannot afford more than one voice speaking
for our Nation in the search for peace.

I do not know who will be inaugurated as the 37th President of the United
States next January. But I do know that I shall do all that I can in the next
few months to try to lighten his burdens as the contributions of the Presidents
who preceded me have greatly lightened mine. I shall do everything in my power
to move us toward the peace that the new President--as well as this President
and, I believe, every other American--so deeply and urgently desires.

Thank you for listening. Good night and God bless all of you.

NOTE: The President recorded the address on October 30, 1968, in the Family
Theater at the White House for broadcast over nationwide radio and television
at 8 p.m. on October 31. In his address he referred to W. Averell Harriman and
Cyrus R. Vance, U.S.. representatives at the Paris peace talks with North Vietnam,
Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Commander, U.S.. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam,
and Gen. William C. Westmoreland, Army Chief of Staff who preceded General Abrams
as U.S.. commander in Vietnam.